Chapter 426

Nolan sat in contemplative silence for a moment before turning to Erick, his voice rough with strain."Since our tech team can't resolve this mess, we'll need to look outside for help. Reach out to every hacker you can find. Spare no expense."

A shiver ran through Erick, but he nodded swiftly."Understood,sir."

Wasting no time, he turned to execute Nolan's orders with urgency.

Barely an hour later, Erick returned, his face pale as moonlight.

Standing before Nolan's desk, he struggled to meet Nolan's gaze. "Mr. Stewart, I've contacted everyone l could. No one will take the job."

Nolan's grip on his pen tightened,the pressure nearly snapping it.

Erick swallowed hard, then pressed on."The target is Ghost,the world's top hacker. Those I reached either fear crossing him or admit they're out of their depth."

After a moment of reflection, Nolan proposed a bold idea. "What if we contact Ghost directly?"

Though he lacked solid proof, Nolan was convinced Colson and his family were behind the chaos.

If they could hire Ghost to sabotage the company's system, surely he could entice the hacker to restore it -for the right price.

Erick responded, "I've already tried reaching Ghost.He turned us down flat, saying he won't turn his back on his client.Apparently, it's a core principle in their line of work."

Frustration surged through Nolan, his pen nearly flying from his hand.

Sensing his anger, Erick hesitated before offering a glimmer of hope. "There might be another way, sir."

Not daring to hold back, Erick shared what he had uncovered. "The hackers I spoke with mentioned that Ghost was once the world's second-best hacker.Three years ago,Lightning-the top hacker at the time -vanished,allowing Ghost to claim the throne. If we can track down Lightning, we might solve this."

He paused, then added cautiously, "The problem is,there is barely any trace of Lightning. No one knows their identity-male, female, or even if they're still alive. The only clue is thatLightning was last seen in Elepdon on January 20th, three years ago."

Three years ago? January 20th?

Nolan froze.

That was the very day he had made a wager with Eleanor.

A wild, fleeting thought flickered in his mind, too elusive to pin down.

Pushing aside the strange emotions swirling within, he issued a firm command. "Post a bounty on the Underground Network. Whatever it takes, find Lightning."

Erick responded quickly, "Yes, Mr. Stewart."

The rest of the day buried Nolan in a whirlwind of tasks.

He juggled directing the tech team to craft a backup system and dousing the fires sparked by the system's collapse.

By the time he returned to the Stewart family's estate,the clock had ticked past one in the morning.

To his surprise, the living room glowed softly with light.

As he stepped inside, Eleanor emerged from the kitchen, a glass of water in hand. Eleanor's sharp eyes caught the weariness etched into his features, and her delicate brows knitted in concern.

How had he become so drained in just one day?

Perplexed, she approached, her voice laced with an unguarded warmth she hadn't noticed herself. "Has Colson's crew been stirring up trouble again?"

Nolan paused mid-step, his reply soft. "Yes, they're always scheming, and the shareholders are hounding me relentlessly."

He offered no further details.

Eleanor studied his strained demeanor, a pang of sympathy piercing her heart before she quickly tamped it down.

Sensing his reluctance to share more,Eleanor chose not to pry.

Instead,she steered the conversation to brighter news."I have something good to tell you. I just learned that Norwood's bodily functions have fully stabilized. It's still unclear when he'll wake, but he is making progress."

A flicker of hope sparked in Nolan's weary eyes,softening the weight of his exhaustion.

He exhaled deeply, relief washing over him as he realized Norwood was truly past the worst.

Turning to Eleanor,he said with quiet sincerity, "Thank you,Eleanor."

She gave a gentle nod, then added with a hint of concern, "You look utterly spent. You should get some rest. I'm heading to bed myself."

For once, Nolan didn't linger. With a simple nod,he made his way upstairs.

Eleanor watched his solitary, silhouette retreat, a quiet ache settling in her chest.

She had resolved to sever all ties with Nolan,determined to move on.

Yet, when she saw him so worn and burdened,her heart betrayed her with a pang of tenderness.

She realized, with a twinge of unease, that her emotions were harder to rein in than she had thought.